The man who was allegedly killed while hiking on the Appalachian Trail has been identified as an army vet who hiked to recover from PTSD.

Crime

Heartbreaking reason murdered hiker was on trail

by Yaron Steinbuch

16th May 2019 2:52 PM

The man killed in a machete attack on the Appalachian Trail has been identified as a 43-year-old army vet from Oklahoma who hiked the popular route to help him cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a report.

"He was adventurous, and he got out of his shell, and we were so proud of that because for a while he was in darkness," his sister, Brenda Sanchez Loera, told CNN.

Ronald Sanchez was allegedly murdered while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

A female hiker who was wounded in the attack played dead and then trekked nine kilometres to alert authorities of the rampage.

James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was arrested on one count of murder and one count of assault with the intent to murder in connection with the attack.

Jordan, known as "Sovereign", was accompanied by a dog as he had earlier threatened a group of four hikers on Friday.

Two of them managed to escape, but the suspect caught up with the other two, Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan said.

Mr Sanchez's sister and his ex-wife, Elizabeth Kordek, said the army veteran suffered from PTSD as well as depression after his military service, which included stints in Iraq.

They told CNN he also suffered back and knee injuries that made the outdoor activities he used as recreation therapy back home much tougher.

James Jordan, also known as ‘Sovereign’, has been charged with murder and assault over a knife attack on the Appalachian Trail. Picture: Washington County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office

"He was in a cycling group, he was showing horses and on a dragon (boat racing) team, and these were all out of his comfort zone because he was a really shy guy," Ms Kordek said.

"To survive those deployments in Iraq and to die like this is just devastating."

The fatal encounter began late on Friday, when Jordan "was acting disturbed and unstable and was playing the guitar and singing", according to an affidavit attached to the criminal complaint.

"Jordan spoke to the hikers through their tents and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death," the affidavit said.

The terrified group scrambled to pack and leave their camp as Jordan pulled out a knife and chased after two of the hikers, authorities said.

He then returned to the campsite and began arguing with one of the two remaining hikers, according to the affidavit. The woman fled after watching the assailant stab the male hiker, officials said.

When Jordan caught up with her, she turned to face him and raised her arms in surrender - but he began stabbing her, and she fell to the ground and played dead, "at which point Jordan left to find his dog", the affidavit said.

"We're really wondering how those last moments were," Ms Kordek said of Mr Sanchez's encounter with the attacker.

"He's strong and he's a fighter … He was a good person. He had a really good heart."

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for the family of the Appalachian Trail victims.

"This attack has devastated the lives of the two directly involved, their families, loved ones, and indeed the entire hiker community," said YouTube personality and hiking enthusiast Ren Ramsey who set up the GoFundMe page.

The hiker community is a tight-knit community composed of people that come from all walks of life. Some are construction workers, lawyers, business people, new graduates, retirees, young, old, and everything in between of all races, genders and nationalities.

"All consider fellow hikers family and almost always exhibit kindness and selflessness in helping out the less experienced or someone in need they may encounter along the way."

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission